One Place logo - AI-powered real estate search engine

Buyer's due diligence checklist for Slovakia

Due diligence checklist before buyingPreverenie nehnuteľnosti pred kúpou

The documents and checks a buyer should get before signing a contract for a flat or a house in Slovakia. No notary collects them for you. The buyer, the buyer's lawyer or the agent must ask for each item.

Work through it before you sign a contract to conclude a future purchase contract or a purchase contract, and again just before the purchase contract. The cadastre does not check the condition of the property, the building's debts or the planning status. It checks only the contract and the cadastral records.

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Not legal advice. Have a notary or lawyer check your case before you sign.

Key facts

Applies to
Whole country
Who owns the property
Part B of the ownership sheet. Ownership passes only on entry in the cadastre (Civil Code § 133(2)).
Encumbrances
Part C of the ownership sheet: mortgages, easements, pre-emption rights with real effect (e-Justice, Slovak land register).
Flat arrears confirmation
Covers service charges and the repair fund. A mandatory annex to a flat sale, except the first transfer (Act 182/1993, § 5(2)).
Statutory lien
Every flat carries a lien for the other owners' claims for building charges, for its whole existence (Act 182/1993, § 15).
Energy certificate
The owner must have it when the sale contract is concluded and hand it to the buyer (Act 555/2005, § 8).
Certificate validity and fine
Valid for at most 10 years (Act 555/2005, § 7(7)). Fine up to 2,000 euros (§ 12).
Transfer tax
None. Only the cadastre fee applies: 100 euros on paper, 50 euros online (PwC; Act 145/1995, item 11).
Seller's tax
A sale within 5 years of acquisition is taxable income of the seller (Act 595/2003, § 9(1)(a)).

The checklist

Seller, title and ownership

  • Current ownership sheet for every parcel, building and flat in the saleList vlastníctva (výpis z katastra nehnuteľností)

    Part A describes the property, part B names the owners and shares, part C lists encumbrances. The contract must match it exactly.

  • Seller's identity, and the identity of every co-ownerObčiansky preukaz, cestovný pas

    Every owner in part B signs, with a certified signature unless the contract is lawyer-authorised or a notarial deed (Cadastral Act § 42(3)).

  • Seller's marital status, and the spouse's consent if the property is joint propertyBezpodielové spoluvlastníctvo manželov (BSM)

    A sale of joint property needs both spouses. Without the spouse's consent the sale can be challenged (Civil Code § 145(1)).

  • The seller's acquisition documentNadobúdací titul (kúpna zmluva, darovacia zmluva, osvedčenie o dedičstve)

    It shows how and when the seller acquired the property, and whether a sale within 5 years is taxable for the seller.

  • For a company seller, the commercial register extractVýpis z obchodného registra

    It shows that the company exists and who may sign for it.

Cadastre, charges and pending matters

  • Part C of the ownership sheet: mortgages, easements, pre-emption rightsŤarchy (záložné právo, vecné bremeno, predkupné právo)

    A mortgage must be discharged from the price, usually through escrow. An easement stays with the property after the sale.

  • Notes on the ownership sheetPoznámky na liste vlastníctva

    A note records a restriction on the owner's right to dispose of the property, or disputed cadastral data (Cadastral Act § 38 and § 39).

  • Register of applications received for the propertyEvidencia doručených návrhov na vklad

    Anyone may inspect it. It shows if someone else filed a contract for the same property (§ 28(6)).

  • Order of filing

    Rights rank in the order the cadastre received the documents (Cadastral Act § 41(2)).

  • Cadastral map and the actual boundariesKatastrálna mapa, geometrický plán

    For a house or land, check that the fence, the garden and the access road lie on the parcels you buy.

  • Leases and occupantsNájomná zmluva

    The buyer takes over the landlord's position in an existing lease (Civil Code § 680(2)).

  • Vacant possession on a stated date

    A protected lease of a flat ends only by agreement, expiry or a statutory ground (Civil Code § 685 and § 711).

Flat in a block of flats

  • Confirmation of no arrears from the building manager or the owners' associationPotvrdenie správcu o nedoplatkoch

    It is a mandatory annex to the purchase contract for a flat, except at the first transfer (Act 182/1993, § 5(2)).

  • Manager's contract or owners' association contract, and the buyer's accessionZmluva o výkone správy, zmluva o spoločenstve vlastníkov

    The transfer contract must include the buyer's statement that the buyer joins this contract (Act 182/1993, § 5(1)(f)).

  • Monthly advance payments, repair fund balance and planned worksPredpis záloh, fond prevádzky, údržby a opráv, zápisnice zo schôdze vlastníkov

    They show the running costs and any large repair, such as a roof or insulation, that the owners voted and that you will pay a share of.

  • Share in the common parts and the landSpoluvlastnícky podiel na spoločných častiach a zariadeniach domu a na pozemku

    The contract must state it (Act 182/1993, § 5(1)(b)). Check that it matches the ownership sheet.

Building, permits and planning

Money, taxes and costs

Formalities

A due diligence list is a checklist by nature. In Slovakia no notary collects the searches by default, so the buyer must ask for each item.

  1. No item needs a notary.
  2. Anyone can search the ownership sheet (list vlastníctva) online for free on the ÚGKK SR cadastre portals (Portál ESKN, Portál CICA).
  3. An official extract for a legal act costs a fee.
  4. Ask the building manager (správca) or the owners' association (spoločenstvo vlastníkov) for the confirmation of no arrears.
  5. Ask the municipality's building office about permits and planning.
  6. Get documents in Slovak, and have them translated if you need to.

Common mistakes

  • Relying on an old printout of the ownership sheet. Check it again on the day you sign, and check the register of applications received for the property.
  • Missing a note (poznámka) on the ownership sheet. A note can record a restriction on the owner's right to sell or a dispute about the cadastral data.
  • Ignoring the statutory lien on a flat. Building debts stay with the flat, so get the manager's confirmation of no arrears dated close to signing.
  • Assuming an extension or a loft conversion is legal because the seller uses it. Ask the building office for the final inspection document.
  • Buying a share without checking the other co-owners. They have a pre-emption right unless you are a close person to the seller (Civil Code § 140).
  • Not inspecting the flat yourself. Raise a defect without undue delay, at the latest within 24 months of taking over, or the claim lapses (Civil Code § 599).

Legal basis

Sources

Describe the home you want